India-UK CETA live July 15: whisky duty halved, car tariffs slashed, British brands eye Indian shelves
Steel quota deal clears the path for CETA rollout. UK whisky duty drops 150%→75% (40% over 10 years), auto tariffs fall from 110% to 30-50% under a 20,000-car quota scaling to 37,000 by year 5, and sub-£40,000 EVs go duty-free from year 6. Average UK tariff into India falls 15%→3%; bilateral trade target $120bn by 2030.
What happened
India-UK CETA enters force July 15 after steel quota deal. Tariff cuts on UK whisky, cars, cosmetics, soft drinks open Indian retail shelves to British brands;
Key facts
- duty on UK whisky cut from 150% to 75%, then 40% over 10 years
- auto duties cut from 110% to 30-50%, quota 20,000 cars year 1, 37,000 by year 5
- EVs below £40,000 duty-free from year 6
- average UK tariff to India drops from 15% to 3%
- bilateral trade target $120 bn by 2030
Why this matters
Accelerate India JV, distribution, and bottling/assembly partnerships while the 20,000-car quota and 10-year tariff glide path are still uncrowded—first movers will anchor shelf share and quota allocations before year-5 scaling to 37,000 units.